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Get Your Geek On: Code is the New Black

Attention all geeks and nerds! It's time to shed that stigma and embrace your inner programmer, because being a programmer is cool!


Back in the day, programmers were seen as nothing more than a bunch of socially awkward techies who spent all their time huddled in front of a computer screen. But these days, programming is the new black. Sure, you might still get the occasional eye-roll from your non-techy friends when you start talking about your latest coding project, but they'll be eating their words when they see the big bucks you're raking in. Long gone are the days of the starving programmer, subsisting on a diet of ramen noodles and Red Bull. These days, programmers are the rock stars of the tech world.


Now that I am in my mid-40s and miserably failed on becoming a legendary streamer I decided that I want to learn how to code. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and am not chasing a career in software engineering but I wanted to learn a new skill and the thought of me programming kind of appeals to my inner geek. I also know Basic back from my days with a Commodore C64 and some HTML (although that's not considered coding).


First things first, you'll need to choose a programming language to learn. So I've asked the good folks over at Mastodon. But don't be fooled by the cute, friendly names like Python or Ruby. These languages are devious, and they will do their best to trip you up at every turn. As you dive into the world of coding, you'll quickly realize that debugging is a full-time job. You'll spend hours staring at a screen, trying to figure out why your code won't run. And just when you think you've finally figured it out, you'll discover that you left off a crucial semicolon and have to start all over again. But don't give up! The joy of finally getting your code to work is worth all the frustration. Just try not to let your celebratory dance moves start a office-wide conga line. I've decided to start with Python an am currently taking courses at Code Academy and downloaded Mimo - a great app that delivers mini-classes in snack-able extent. By now I am capable of creating breathtaking pieces of code like:

stock = 600 
jeans_sold = 500 
target = 500 

target_hit = jeans_sold == target 
print("Hit jeans sale target: ") 
print(target_hit) 

current_stock = stock - jeans_sold 
in_stock = current_stock != 0 
print("Jeans in stock:") 
print(in_stock)


Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language. It was first released in 1991 and has since become a popular language for web development, data analysis, and scientific computing. One of the main advantages is its simplicity and readability. It has a relatively small set of keywords and a simple, clean syntax, which makes it easy to learn and use. Python also has a large and active community of users, which means there are many resources available for learning and troubleshooting. Python is used for a wide variety of applications, including web development, data analysis, machine learning, and scientific computing. Instagram, Dropbox and Netflix are among the products written in Python.


So if you're ready for a challenge and have a healthy supply of caffeine and patience, go ahead and give coding a try. Just remember, when it comes to learning how to code, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey (and how many times you want to throw your computer out the window along the way).


So go ahead and embrace your inner geek. print("End of Story")

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